Aaron
by Sheazy Daisy
Summary: Percy and Annabeth have survived what fate has thrown in their path and now their dream is finally coming true-they are starting their own family. Rated T just to be safe (possibly language/mature-ish content).
1. Anxiety

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing (unfortunately), just the story idea… The world, characters, and past adventures all belong to Rick Riordan. Enjoy! :)

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The morning of October 10 had Percy Jackson so agitated that his students called Grover over. After sitting in the arena for the first fifteen minutes of what was supposed to be a sword lesson, watching him pace back and forth, his hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary, whimpering at him, one of Percy's students ventured into the woods to find Grover and Juniper. Although upset that their picnic brunch was interrupted, the two went immediately to the arena to discover their friend turning a rarely-used cellphone over and over in his left hand. The other was in his pocket, no doubt gripping the ballpoint pen that would turn into a sword and impale his leg if he clicked it accidentally.

"Perrrcy," bleated Grover, one hand absently tangling itself in the fur on his goat-legs. "You're scaring your students."

Percy looked up from his pacing and gave Grover what was supposed to be a smile. It looked more like a grimace. Juniper watched him with sympathy. "It's supposed to happen soon, isn't it?"

Percy averted his eyes for a second and nodded. "I just… I want everything to go smoothly. For her."

Juniper smiled kindly, curling a strand of greenish-brown hair behind her ear. Grover fisted his hands in his own curly hair, hooking his thumbs around the two little horns on the top of his head. "Oh gods, it's _today_?"

"Probably," Percy sighed. With a groan he turned to his students, sitting in the stands of the arena watching him. "I'm sorry, guys. This is supposed to be a sword lesson, I know. I'm just a little… distracted."

"Man, maybe you should go home… You don't want to accidentally impale anyone," Grover bleated.

"No!" Juniper cried, giving Grover a smack on the arm, to which he reacted with a loud, "Ouch, that hurt, Juney!" Juniper looked at Percy imploringly. "It'll just stress her out to have you there, because you're clearly going out of your mind with anxiety. Your tension will just multiply each other's tension and it'll only be bad for her. Just try to relax."

"I'm trying," Percy said with a nervous laugh, glancing at his cellphone again. "It's a little more difficult than it looks."

Grover nodded in a fit of enthusiastic agreement. "I'm sure." Juniper smacked his arm again.

"I think you should try teaching this class," she suggested, smiling at Percy encouragingly. "Swordplay has always relaxed you, hasn't it?" She looked at Grover, who knew Percy better, for confirmation. The satyr nodded. "Just try not to think about it. If she needs you, she'll call. If it happens, well… You'll _definitely_ be the first to know." Juniper chuckled and Percy did the same, albeit quite nervously.

And that's how it happened that Percy Jackson spent October 10 teaching swordplay to his students, as he always did. He let himself fall into the familiar routine of thrusting his sword and swinging it, parrying and striking. He sparred with some of his more experienced students and showed the less-experienced ones just where to strike killing blows. At four o'clock, Percy left Camp Halfblood, driving back into Manhattan and hurriedly parking in the parking garage of his apartment building.

Percy raced up the stairs to the sixth floor and attempted to fit his key into the lock of apartment 6C. He kept fumbling the silly metal tool around, and once it finally slipped in and he was able to turn it, he nearly fell over himself trying to get inside the apartment and close the door.

The cozy living room was empty. She wasn't propped up on brightly colored throw pillows watching TV on the plush cream-colored couch, where he usually found her when he came home most afternoons. So Percy stumbled through the archway leading to the kitchen, where she was leaning against the counter with a glass of water in her hand.

He just stared at her for a moment, taking in her greasy blond hair, pulled back in a haphazard ponytail, and disheveled clothing. Sometimes he was overwhelmed by how beautiful she was, like now, standing there in nothing but sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt that he had once bought for himself to wear to sleep but she had inevitably stolen.

Looking up from her water, Annabeth smiled at Percy, a huge grin that boasted white teeth and told Percy without words how happy she was to see him. He smiled back, obeying the magnetic pull that he felt towards her and cupping her cheeks in his hands. Running his fingers over her cheekbones, he kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, her eyelids, and then finally her lips. They parted easily, sweetly, under his.

Percy leaned his forehead against Annabeth's, reveling in the fact that she had to look up at him. He remembered when they were younger and Annabeth had been the same height as him, eventually growing taller. The day he had realized that he was the taller one was still one of the best of his life.

"What was that for?" Annabeth whispered, her breath sliding like silk against his skin.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about you all day and how much I love you—"

Annabeth pulled back, looking at him seriously. "You were worrying, weren't you? Percy, I told you not to! Everything's going to be fine."

"I know." He kissed her gently to shut her up. "I know, Wise Girl. It's just stressful." His skin prickled as she moved her arms up to wrap around his neck, tracing comforting circles with her callused fingers.

"We're almost there, Seaweed Brain," she said, a smile pulling at her lips. "Soon. It's gonna be soon. I can feel it."

Percy flashed her a grin, some of his anxiety melting away just by seeing the certainty in her beautiful grey eyes. His gaze dipped downward to her stomach and he gently pressed his hands against it. She smiled again, and he watched her as she gazed down at her belly. Then he felt a kick against his hands and snapped his wondering stare down.

Annabeth laughed. "He's ready. It's almost time now." She placed her hands gently on top of Percy's and intertwined their fingers. They stood there like that for a while, reveling in the phenomenon of life, as their son kicked at their hands every once in a while. Percy slept well that night.

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Please give me your feedback! I love hearing what you all have to say. Hope you enjoyed this first chapter. :)


	2. The Beginning

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing (unfortunately), just the story idea... The world, characters, and past adventures all belong to Rick Riordan. Enjoy! :)

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Two nights later, Percy woke at 3am to Annabeth clutching his forearm and panting as contractions rippled through her body. They locked eyes, and he knew that it was time. She had been tossing and turning all night as the contractions grew stronger and more frequent. Percy leapt into action, pulling jeans on over his boxers and a T-shirt over his bare chest. Annabeth was trying to sit up and get out of bed, but he shot her a placating look as he found them both flip-flops. Then they were hurrying out the apartment door, barely stopping to lock it behind them.

Percy helped Annabeth into their silvery-blue Toyota and floored it out of the parking garage. He was afraid he was going to start hyperventilating but managed to calm his breathing when he felt Annabeth wrap her sweaty hand around his bicep. "It's going to be okay, Seaweed Brain," she managed, trying for a smile. He returned it, a tiny bit of excitement seeping in with the stress.

They arrived at the hospital soon after with plenty of time to spare. Percy held Annabeth's hand as she pushed. He remembered holding her hand during the Battle of Manhattan, after she had taken a poisoned knife for him. He remembered how tight her grip had been as her wound was cleaned, and thought that it was nothing compared to how tightly she clung to his hand at that moment.

At exactly 6:43am on October 12, Percy and Annabeth's baby pushed his way into the world and breathed his first breath of air. Annabeth's cry of relief was music to Percy's ears, and he laughed out loud as the nurse lifted the child and put him into his waiting mother's arms. The boy was healthy and strong. Everything had gone perfectly, not a single hitch. For once, it seemed, the Fates were on their side.

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Aaron Frederick Jackson was the most fascinating creature Percy had ever seen, and he had seen a lot of fascinating—granted, also very scary—creatures. The little boy never failed to amaze his father during those first few days and for the many years afterwards. It astounded Percy whenever the child would wrap his tiny fingers around Percy's pinky. He would whisper-yell across the room to Annabeth so as not to wake the sleeping infant, and she would laugh and come over to watch Percy cradle his son in his arms as the boy gripped Percy's pinky in a vise-like grip.

Whenever Annabeth would bustle around the kitchen with the child nestled against her breast, humming under her breath, Percy would just sit on the counter and watch in captivation. He was even charmed by the child when he woke up his parents in the middle of the night.

Days passed, blissfully exhausting, happy days. Chiron excused Percy from coming to Camp to teach lessons so he could stay at home, helping Annabeth in any way he could with the baby. She seemed to know so much more about the whole parenting thing than he did, which really wasn't that odd—she always knew more than he did—but did make him wish that he had read some of those parenting and infant-care books she had bought a couple of months earlier. As much as he hated reading because of his dyslexia, the information probably would've been helpful in this strange new endeavor.

Percy had faced down armies of monsters and giants and braved the depths of Tartarus itself, but none of that could have ever prepared him for raising a child.

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Hope you're enjoying this. :) Please give me your reviews and feedback!


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